A Taste II
by Aservis Roturier
Summary: Ciel settles a nagging question regarding his final moments, the hard way.


A Taste II

A/N Dedicated to'BlackKitty95' whose excellent story " A Little Taste" spawned this one (hence the title). And when I shared my idea she simply said. 'DO IT and let me know if you do so that I can read it ^^.' So here it is my dear, just for you.

"My young master is disturbed," the butler spoke as he toweled off his young contractor in the steamy bathing room off the young lord's bedroom. "Would you care to share what is troubling you?"

Sullenly, the young Phantomhive heir paused silently, then shrugged out of his butler's attentive hands and marched nude to his bed to sit waiting for the butler to bring him his night shirt.

"You were troubled by this case," Sebastian persisted as he knelt at the boy's feet. "Perhaps you felt in some way… guilty?" The case had unexpectedly devolved into a fight between two demons, the young woman on whose behalf they'd been called, unexpectedly turned out to be contracted as well. Sebastian had had to try and wrest the young woman from the arms of one of his fellow fiends who did not appreciate the interference. The woman had not either, until the second demon had changed his aspect to something less human and more nightmarish and full of sharp teeth, suddenly clamping his wide-gaping mouth over the woman's face and biting down, ensuring he would not lose his prey.

Sebastian understood, even sympathized to the extent he was able. If he pressured the other demon any further he would take the soul he was owed and disappear into the uncharted nether regions where uncontracted demons congregated. It would be both fruitless as well as pointless to pursue the creature there. They would've failed in their endeavor at that point.

Unfortunately, having been put under command, Sebastian was compelled to press the issue and the inevitable had happened: the young lady lost her soul and life in a terrifying and bloody embrace, and in the next moment, the demon was gone.

The young woman's parents were not pleased.

"At first I thought it must have been the failure that troubled you" Sebastian continued. "You seldom face failure with me by your side," the demon murmured as be bent near to fold the little earl's collar down. Sebastian made no pointless moves, Ciel knew, and yet he could not stop himself from shrinking away from the demon who was speaking softly into his ear, thereby inadvertently revealing the earl's newfound fear of his dark knight. Ciel knew Sebastian would not fail to notice, even though it was no more than a twitch, a tiny flinching from the feel of the butler's breath plaing over the boy's hair and neck.

"So is that it? Are you afraid, now that you've seen a soul torn from a human body, by a demon?"

"Shut up. Quit saying such ridiculous thi-"

"Please do not lie to yourself my lord. It makes everything so much more difficult."

"I'm not-" the boy spat, struggling to escape the demon's arms. "Get off me you dog, who do you think you are, to come crawling into my bed like thi-"

"I will release you _when_ we have spoken about this matter," the butler insisted, one knee planted on the bed, his arms forcing the boy to face him. "I know you better than you realise, Ciel Phantomhive, and I want you to understand I have never admired you because you lacked fear. All sane men fear, it is simply the human condition." The demon paused, searching the large blue eye glaring up at him. Feeling a little insecure, given the present circumstances, the demon suddenly had a strong desire to see his own seal upon this boy whom he desired so much. He freed up one hand and reached up with it to untie the boy's silken eye patch. It fell away, resting upon a pillow to reveal the branded eye, pulsing with a hot violet light in response to the demon's proximity.

"Please allow me to explain something, young master. Many humans mistake fearlessness for bravery, but it is not the same thing. Brave men are not those impulsive fools who fling themselves into the fray knowing no fear. Such men are simply mentally defective. And that is certainly nothing to admire. The brave man is the one who feels the same fears all men feel, feels them, _faces_ them, and _conquers them_.

You Ciel Phantomhive, are a brave young man. You have been from the moment we first met. Your splendid soul pulsed its excellence beyond that filthy cage you were kept in and seduced me on the spot. There was no way I could ever abandon such a splendid creature as yourself to such a filthy fate."

"Because you wanted the privilege of destroying me yourself!" the boy retorted hotly. "Don't try to romanticize what you do, demon. You aren't _enamoured,_ you stupid beast, you're just _hungry_!" The vitriol in the young earl's words was breathtaking.

"Bocchan you misunderstand me entirely," the butler said, pressing the boy's head to his chest, "I _am_ enamoured of you, of your soul, for after all your soul _is_ you.

"And is that how you will express your affection then? Biting my face off and suctioning out the insides like a Christmas orange?!"

The demon was silent for a few moments. Silence was one of his ways of avoiding awkward questions, but Sebastian knew it was not going to suffice this time. He dropped his arms and let the boy settle back into his pillows. He looked up with a sigh because he did not wish to broach this question, but from the moment he'd seen his opponent was another contracted demon he had foreseen it was inevitable he would be having this conversation with his very brave, very intelligent young contractor, and he knew the boy was not going to like the answers his questions would garner.

The boy turned away from his demon with a disgusted snort."You refuse to answer; I'm not in the least surprised."

"I am not refusing to answer Bocchan, I am-"

"Stop calling me that! That was Tanaka's name for me when I was little because he _cared_ for me. You have _not_ earned the _right_ to use it."

"You really believe I have no affection for my master? That I've written you off as nothing but fodder. How little you understand, how willfully you refuse to hear what I have been telling you from the beginning." It was the butler's turn to turn away with a disgusted noise, about to give it up as a bad job. What point trying to explain one's views if the other willfully refuses to hear what you say?

"Then answer the question!" The boy sat up panting, his face reddening because he knew he was revealing his fear, his weakness-things he had long ago decided he must never reveal to the demon. However he could not help asking: _I simply_ _ **have**_ _to know_ , he thought.

"There are many ways to take a soul, Boc—my young master. What you witnessed reveals why a manifested demon might need such teeth as we sometimes show."

"To secure prey, yes, I can see that," he said through gritted teeth.

"What you saw resulted entirely from your command. I am not affixing blame, merely clarifying! Please do not be so hasty totake offense, young master. The way we were pressuring the demon—"

"The other demon."

"Yes, the other demon. The way we were trying to wrest something from him he believed he had a perfect right to led directly to his reaction. In a similar situation, with a contractor I valued less than I value you, I might have done the same thing.

Demons are not particularly possessive of material things, the material plane having little hold on them, but they are wildly possessive of contractors and contracted souls as you well know. It is very likely it would not have happened in just that way if we had not threatened to steal her from him as we did."

"If that's the result of a demon's 'affection' I can bloody well live without it, thank you very much."

"A demon's possessiveness and his appreciation of his contractor are two completely different things. The trancy butler is an excellent example. Claude had no appreciation for the young man he was contracted to. But if you'd threatened him as we threatened this weaker demon tonight, he would likely have done the same or worse. I sensed no animosity between the demon we faced tonight and his young mistress. They seemed to me to be quite sympathetic to one another. Left alone I do not think he would have taken her so violently. But because he was weak, because he was so overwhelmed with fear facing a devil of such overwhelming power, compared to his own-" and here Ciel snorted and laughed again, as if he believed his demon was putting on airs. As a result the butler completely shut down.

Finally he said, "I will say it one last time and I am finished trying to explain: there are many ways to take a-"

"Tell me then. Or show me."

"Tell you… what, specifically, my lord?"

"Tell me how _you_ take souls, how you will take mine. Show me."

A palpable shift occurred in the tension blanketing the room. It grew tense, oppressive. "Yes, my lord." Neither moved for the space of a breath. Two breaths.

"Well?"

The demon's voice turned soft, alluring. "Would you… prefer I show you?" The fire in the demon's eyes leapt and the boy felt it in his own marked eye which grew hot and felt pressurized.

"Should I permit you?" the boy seemed to be vibrating with fury, but the demon detected it was draining away, being rapidly replaced by intense curiosity… and a thread of lust. "Are you going to lose control of yourself after watching another demon take his reward and bugger off? What's to say you will not do the same thing?"

"Language, my lord. There's no need for—"

"Shut up and answer the question."

"Could you really not perceive the difference between your own demon and the low creature the young woman was bound to? Do you really think _every_ demon is as powerful as the one _you_ are contracted to?"

"Answer. The question. Sebastian."

The demon dared to touch his ruffled little contractor, reaching out for one blushing cheek he gently stroked it, appearing sad somehow. Or perhaps disappointed was nearer the mark. Well no matter, the demon thought. A lifetime of experiencing such disappointments when dealing with humanity had taught him to let such disagreeable sentiments go easiy. Instead he focused on delighting in the fine texture and the down-coered cheek beneath his fingers, dressed in invisible hair like peach fuzz. He spoke and his tone was near reverent: "I would not defile this beauty for any price, my Lord. Nor would I leave you."

"Without reason. You have left me before."

"I never truly young master. I was never far away. How could I leave my only worldly treasure?"

"Remarkably, demon, that doesn't make me feel the least bit better. And you still haven't—"

The demon leaned forward and quickly answered the best way he knew how, placing his own lips gently onto the boy's and slowly teasing his jaws apart with gentle, almost playful pressure.

At first the boy was too shocked to respond and sat rigid and staring in the demon's grip. When his brain finally kicked back into gear he remembered having asked Sebastian to show him. Is that what this was? Or was it another delaying tactic? When the lips retreated a little the boy barked "was that supposed to show me something or scramble my brains so I couldn't remember what we were talking about?"

The demon chuckled softly. "No delay was intended. I am answering your question. If you would prefer I could also take your soul through your blood, as I believe I have told you before," he said, trailing a warm finger down from the boy's blushing cheek to his throat. "I have tasted it and it would be very pleasant… for me. It would be a bit more painful for you, at least at first." More smiles and a certain sparkle in the catlike eyes that were trained on him told Ciel the demon was enjoying himself. "As you saw, there are more violent means. They are usually employed by those with a grudge against an unpleasant or _difficult_ contractor," Sebastian smiled knowingly and put his hand over the boy's heart, which he could hear pounding wildly. "Angry demons are apt to strew entrails about and crack ribs choosing the messiest, most painful route possible. But I have a brave and fair minded little contractor who believes in paying his debts, so I anticipate no need for such violence." The demon paused to run his fingers through the boy's hair, settling it from Ciel's moment of defiance when he'd first put his mouth on the boy's. "However, unlike many of my kind, I often find I usually enjoy my time with my contractors, perhaps because I am much more careful in their selection, and so I much prefer this gentler, more mutually enjoyable method." And with that he dipped his head again.

The boy was just as surprised as the first time and a bit alarmed as well. Was Sebastian annoyed at him for pressuring him into an answer? Unlikely. Ciel was not so foolish as not to realise his butler, like the cats he so admired, was not about to let himself be pressured into anything he didn't really want to. If Sebastian answered, it would be because he wanted to. Because like a cat, he always had his own goals in mind and trying to divert him was like trying to command the ocean or the sky. The demon was a force of nature he could no more truly control than he could fly.

So when those warm, moist lips connected with his a second time, Ciel knew it was because the demon wanted it, and there was a modicum of comfort in that, so the boy relaxed, gave in to the insistent attention and closed his eyes.

The moment the tension went out of his body, however, something else began to happen which caused his whole being to tighten again in terror. Caught with his head back and his mouth slack he suddenly felt a strong sensation of pulling. And when he tried to move his head or close his mouth he found his entire oral cavity seemed filled to bursting with Sebastian's tongue, which suddenly felt more like a live eel trying to slither right down his throat.

Gagging, panicking, paddling blindly, Ciel desperately fought against the bulk of his butler, whose body now seemed to be everywhere at once and yet have become indistinct and amorphous in the dark room, moving through the air around the bed and over his body like a swirl of ink unfurling in a glass of clear water. The boy struggled, eyes starting from their sockets, mouth wet and seemingly stretched to the limit, clawing wildly, gagging at the terrible feeling of his throat totally blocked by _something_ he couldn't breathe around _,_ a something wet and _writhing._

A terrible sense of the doom settled on young Phantomhive, his mind serving up the memory of standing before a certain red deer he'd hunted with his aunt last fall. He'd stood and watched its eyes at the moment just before death took the creature. He knew he must be wearing the exact same hideously blank expression, knowing he could not escape this embracing death, knowing what a fool he'd been, so far from saving himself, he'd actually _asked_ for this, and knowing _this_ _time_ his ever-faithful dark paladin would _not_ be hurrying to his rescue.

No, not this time.

Ciel felt his consciousness slithering away and a last sensation seared itself on his awareness: the feeling of the demon Sebastian truly was purring against him like a giant cat and lazily licking at what was surely his soul.

When Ciel began to feel his awareness coming back to him, the first thing that caught his attention was the sound of his butler's voice, speaking in his unmistakable, pedantic, 'tutor mode':

"… like that, my lord. Ah! There you go. I see your eyelids shivering. Are you with us once again, young master?"

Vaguely he heard Finny somewhere nearby, loudly blubbering like a fool, and May Rin fussing about the room, talking to herself. Someone laid a cool cloth on his forehead and he heard the dull clink of a glass being carefully set down on the bedside table and also a wash basin being set on the floor near the bed. Someone slipped an arm behind him and lifted his upper body from the bed, stuffing pillows behind his back, and helping him to sit up. He found his head spun when he opened his eyes to watch the butler shooing the other servants out of the room and reminding them to be quiet until their lord had recovered. He closed his eyes again, lacking the will yet to stay present.

A short absence of consciousness ended when he felt the bed dip a little and a large hand comb its way through his hair in what might normally be considered a fond gesture.

"Come back my fragile little lord. We are alone now, and I would like to speak with you." There was a pause, then a deep sigh and then he heard "My, my… it is always such a shock to me…"

Ciel opened his eyes and looked about for his demon butler. "What is," he whispered dully.

"The disparity between that vast, fierce soul of yours and your rather pathetic little physical form." The boy heard the light, playful mockery in the butler's tone and opened his eyes. He frowned to see the butler fiddling with his hand like it was a limb belonging to a jointed doll, opening the fingers, rolling them up in a fist, turning the hand over and tracing the veins with a bright, rather disturbing grin and a cheerful mien.

"Let go, beast," he wheezed, doing his best to roughly snatch his hand away. He discovered he was ridiculously weak and also his throat was extremely sore.

 _Now there's an unpleasant thought to dally over as I fall asleep tonight,_ Ciel thought. _Apparently, all of that nightmarish tongue nonsense actually happened._ He gulped hard and made a face at the burning pain _. And here I thought it was just that repulsive Trancy butler who was like that_... _ugh._ A violent shiver coursed through the boy's body at the disgusting memory _._

I prepared this for you while you were unconscious, knowing you might appreciate it one you woke again." The butler said, offering him a tall glass of something tea coloured.

"What is it?"

"It is tea, cooled to room temperature with a generous dose of honey added to help soothe your throat."

"And what the hell did you do to my throat for me to need this?" he ground out, then drank gratefully. It wasn't to his taste, but it did feel soothing going down.

"You asked for a demonstration, did you not?"

The boy stroked his throat with a sulky face. "I could feel you rummaging around in there you know."

"Only a little. I would not dream of doing anything to damage my lord, or my future repast. I was being extremely careful."

"Didn't feel like it. Felt like you chased a whole pack of imps with sharp little hooves down my throat, and that every one of them was carrying a torch."

The demon laughed out loud at that, startling the boy profoundly. He was not sure he'd ever heard Sebastian in such a cheerful mood before.

"Ah my precious little earl, I _am_ truly sorry, but that _was_ a stupidly foolish request you made of me. Any other demon and it would've been the end of you. I haven't quite got my fill of our game just yet, however,."

Ciel attempted to yell some more abuse at the demon but he only managed to get out the word 'infuriating' and then suddenly found himself coughing uncontrollably. Finally, after a minute of coughing so violently he actually tore something in his throat and bled a little, he managed a few rasping words for his faithful servant.

"Get out."

Whereon Sebastian obediently did just that, chuckling and promising to be but a call away should the boy need him in the night. Eventually, some minutes after the butler left Ciel managed to get the coughing under control by soothing his throat with the thick, sweet tea and eventually got his voice back. When he did, he had just one thing to say.

"Bastard."

And somewhere, deep in the bowels of the Phantomhive mansion, Ciel was certain he heard a merry laugh.


End file.
